Diaz-Gonzales and his colleagues compared what is delicately termed the "digesta" of cows fed grain and hay. They found that cows fed grain harbored a greater number of E. coli bacteria in their colon, and that the bacteria were more acid resistant.
Since grain is cheaper and more fattening than hay, it's unlikely that livestock owners will stop feeding it to their cattle. However, feeding hay to cows even for a short period of time seems to reduce the quantity and virulence of the E. coli in their feces. So "cattle could be given hay for a brief period of time immediately before slaughter to significantly reduce the risk of food-borne E. coli infection," the researchers write.
ORDER ARTICLE #17: "Grain Feeding and the Dissemination of Acid-Resistant Escherichia coli from Cattle," by F. Diaz-Gonzalez, T. R. Callaway, M. G. Kizoulis, and J. B. Russell at Cornell U. in Ithaca, NY. CONTACT: James B. Russell at 607-255-3086 (phone), 607-255-3904 (fax), or jbr8@cornell.edu (e-mail).
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American Association for the Advancement of Science
11-Sep-1998